The Ghost Within His Ranks
by Venerance
Summary: All Harry wanted to do was protect his family and the ones he loved. When Dumbledore procured a plan that would prove vital to the Wizarding War, Harry eagerly accepted. Even if it was at the cost of losing everyone he cared about. Two-Shot
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Memories**

"Do you not deny the accusations made against your person Mr. Potter?"

The Wizengamont and its attending members watched in solemn silence as the young eighteen year old boy said nothing to defend himself, only opting to remain in silence. Within the crowds, sat the Potter and Black families. Both staring at the boy they once considered family with a mixture of disgust and revulsion.

The Minister of Magic, one Amelia Bones sighed and nodded. "Very well, let it be known in the records that Harry James Potter has made no effort to dispute these claims."

Some would say that the trial for the accused was not necessary. That the boy in front of them today was nothing more than a devoted Death Eater fanatic was already enough to sentence him to a lifetime imprisonment within the walls of Azkaban. Nonetheless, the trial was a formality. One that was given to every remaining Death Eater after the demise of Lord Voldemort.

'Harry James Potter, you are being held responsible for seventy-two counts of active usage of the Unforgiveables. The terrorization of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Twenty-four counts of murder including one Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. And two accounts of torture." Amelia spoke, her grey eyes boring into the guilty party in front of her. "You face over twenty life sentences sitting in a cell in Azkaban with no chance of parole. Do you have nothing to say in your defense?"

Harry weakly rose his head, revealing the sickly pallor his skin had taken. With three words, it sealed the punishment appointed to him. "It was necessary."

-()-

Harry didn't know how long he had been imprisoned within Azkaban. There was no concept of time within the prison. Whether he has been trapped in Azkaban for months or years, only the guards knew. The guards who've been the very antonym of merciful.

More than once, Harry allowed himself to dissolve in tears. He knew what he signed up for and he knew the outcome of it. Notions of whether the result was worth it wormed their way into his mind but Harry was to quickly banish them from thought. His role in the war was critical, crucial. Without his help, Harry knew that the peaceful ending everyone had sought and achieved, would have been nowhere in sight.

He had been afraid to look into the eyes of his family, to see the repugnance brewing within. His godfather made his resentment towards him quite clear when the final battle was over. When he managed to knock the mask obscuring Harry's face within their battle on the courtyard of Hogwarts. The look of shock and grief that flashed upon Sirius's face was enough to tear Harry's innards to shreds. Taking advantage of his hesitation, Harry stunned his godfather before moving on.

The next time Harry saw Sirius, he was beaten. Thoroughly. The rage and grief apparent within his godfather took ahold of him, causing for him to lash out. Echoes of his barbs and slander punched Harry in the gut.

In his eyes Harry could see, the Harry he once knew was nothing more than a faint reflection in the depths of his memories.

Harry clutched his knees to his chest as the howls of the Dementors came closer. The shrieks and cries of terror began pounding in his head as images of crying women and children burrowed their way into his mind, their eyes staring into his own pleading for death to arrive.

" _Pitiful…" Voldemort hissed as he swirled around Harry. His wand was aimed at the sobbing muggle family, huddling together in the corner of the burning house. "Look at these muggles, defenseless, cowering in terror. Learn this feeling boy, learn to relish it. The feeling of power and superiority." Harry's hand shook as Voldemort's words caressed his ear._

 _The blue eyes of a small three year old child connected with his own. The orbs of cerulean staring in confusion and fear at the situation around her._

" _Do it!"_

 _Closing his eyes, Harry uttered two words that would continue to haunt him for the rest of his life._

…

" _You have all demonstrated your loyalty to my cause, to rid the world of those unworthy and to start anew. Understand that from today onward, you commit yourselves to me. You pledge your loyalty, your faith, in me. I will not accept failure, I will have no tolerance for any mistakes you take. If you decide not to heed my warning, I will show you the true error of your actions."_

 _Harry kept his gaze focused solely on the ground as he stayed kneeled to the creature that called himself Lord Voldemort. Besides him, he could hear someone twitch nervously as he listened to Voldemort's words._

 _The room was silent as Voldemort's crimson eyes scoured the group of kneeling Death Eater recruits in front of him. Inspecting every single one, as if searching for a particular someone._

 _With a sudden yank, Harry found himself mere inches from Lord Voldemort._

" _Rise," Came the chill voice of the monstrosity._

 _Shakily rising to his feet, Harry kept his eyes lowered as he sensed Voldemort circling around him, like a wolf drawn to prey._

" _Yes," Voldemort spoke, a slight trace of humor evident within his tone as he inspected the boy. "I have no doubts you will perform marvelously. The son of Potter and his mudblood. I will truly enjoy the day when you will face them in battle, to see their reactions when they fight their offspring."_

 _Voldemort then paused before trickling a long, slender finger beneath Harry's chin, forcing him to look into the malevolent eyes of the one who called himself Lord._

" _But, a question still remains in the corners of my mind." Voldemort hissed, his eyes boring into Harry's own emerald orbs. "What reason would you have to find it within yourself to join me? The son of a purely light family, allied with none other but Dumbledore himself. Do you seek power? Fame? No, no, it's more than that isn't it? Perhaps its jealousy for your brother's fame while you were left behind unnoticed?"_

 _Sweat began to trickle down his brow as he felt a hand rest upon his shoulder._

" _Or perhaps you could be another one of Dumbledore's attempts to infiltrate my ranks?" The hand on his shoulder began to squeeze tightly as two men burst into the room, carrying a bloodied body between them._

 _Thrown onto the ground with a loud moan of pain, Harry locked eyes with the man whom he recognized as his potions professor. Severus Snape. The cold, unforgiving man now laid in tatters in front of him. Eyes clouded with pain, Snape erupted into a coughing fit as he was kicked in the stomach. Blood splattered the dark wooden floors as Snape's coughing fit began to end._

" _Ahhh, Serverus. It is truly disheartening to see that my ranks have been managed to be infiltrated so easily." The silky voice of Voldemort spoke. "Have I not given you everything you wished? And this is how you pay my generosity? You disappoint me Severus."_

 _The hand clutching Harry's shoulder gripped tighter, squeezing his shoulder painfully as Voldemort stared at the wounded man before him. As Severus looked up, Harry could see a hint of defiance within his eyes. Defiance covering up his true emotions. Fear. Fear not from the creature standing above him but fear for the boy in front of him. Sadly, Voldemort noticed something similar._

" _I see you recognize the boy Severus, would you like to share what you feel in front of everyone else?"_

 _No words were spoken as Snape stared hatefully at the creature in front of him._

" _Very well," The pressure lessened upon Harry's shoulder, almost causing for Harry to sigh in relief. "It's time to prove your loyalty child. Bring Severus to Diagon Alley, let us show the world what we do to traitors."_

 _Harry felt himself jerked forward besides Voldemort as he was led to the fireplace._

" _What about my mask milord?" Harry spoke, the words tasting like ash in his mouth as they paused before the fireplace. A cruel smirk flitted across the snake-like creature's face._

" _No, we will show the world who you are, and whom you will be."_

…

" _Stop forth boy!"_

 _Harry slowly walked forward, from behind the robes of black to the side of Voldemort, whom decided to wear a silver mask himself to conceal himself. The moment Harry emerged from the sea of black, Harry immediately noticed that his reveal elicited gasps and screams of shock from the crowd._

" _No!" Came a scream from within the crowd._

 _Tearing his heart into shreds, Harry watched as his mother pushed her way through the crowd to stand at its forefront, followed by members of the Order of the Phoenix._

 _Voldemort laughed at the pitiful scene before him as he watched the red haired woman try to break free towards the boy standing beside him._

" _Harry please!"_

 _Harry avoided the gaze of his pleading mother, opting to shield his ears away from the heartbreaking cries of Lily Potter. Turning his gaze to his father who was currently restraining her, Harry saw nothing but sadness and brokenness as James stared at the scene before him._

 _In front of Harry, sat the broken body of Severus Snape. Restrained and slumped upon a stage where he was laid bare for all to see. Dread began to fill his veins as he was pushed in front of everyone else to stand directly in front of Snape._

" _Do it, prove your loyalty to me!" Voldemort hissed._

 _Staring into the ebony eyes of Serverus Snape, an unspoken message passed between the two. An apology and a promise. A promise that would become Harry's lifeline, his hold upon the darkness._

" _Stay strong."_

 _With a nod, Harry rose his wand. The screams of the pleading and crying lost to his ears._

…

" _He is planning on storming the Ministry tonight."_

 _Albus Dumbledore nodded, his face grim as he stared back at his spy._

" _You must tell my brother it is a trap." Harry growled, slamming his fist upon the oak desk. "He isn't going alone. Malfoy, the Lestranges, Macnair, his entire inner circle will be there to stop him!"_

" _You know I cannot Harry," Dumbledore finally spoke, an apology evident within his gaze._

" _HE WILL DIE!" Harry roared, swiping everything off the desk, causing for the glass decors to shatter upon the stone floor. "He and his friends! Are you so deluded that you will allow a handful of fifteen year olds to perish at the hands of those murderers?"_

 _Dumbledore quickly rose, his blue eyes blazing with fury. "Do not presume to tell me I do not care for the students under my care! Even now, the Order of the Phoenix is mobilizing to help aid them against this threat._

" _But you yourself won't go," Harry spoke bitterly._

" _Need I remind you Harry that even now the Ministry hunts for me? Until Voldemort appears, I cannot go. You have my reassurance that the moment Voldemort appears, I shall arrive to save your brother and his friends."_

" _Voldemort himself appeared directly in the middle of Diagon Alley last year and the Ministry still refuses to believe the claims he is back?" Harry snarled, "The Minister is completely idiotic."_

" _Fudge is a much blinded individual." Dumbledore sighed. "He is scared to admit he is back so unless he sees him with his very own eyes, he will refuse to admit anything. This is why I cannot show myself until Voldemort himself arrives."_

" _So you send the Order of the Phoenix in your steed," Harry scowled. "Do you not care for them as well?"_

" _They can handle themselves quite well in fact." Dumbledore spoke, his hand resting upon the wand in his lap. "Especially Miss Delacour-"_

" _Stop, you have no right." Harry hissed. "I sacrificed everything for you, my family, my life, the girl I loved, just so we can get rid of this creature who dares call himself the Dark Lord. Don't you dare lord everything the girl I love, has done without me."_

" _As you wish," Dumbledore acquiesced. "You should return to Voldemort now, I have no doubts that he will begin to wonder about your whereabouts should you be absent for too long for the assault on the Ministry."_

…

" _Bill Weasley and Fleur are engaged."_

" _Yes," Dumbledore spoke, his eyes gazing upon the downtrodden nineteen year old. "A rather unanticipated set of events that I did not foresee."_

 _Dumbledore watched as Harry Potter sat down glumly in the armchair across from him. Pulling out a bottle of Firewhiskey, Dumbledore gently poured a glass for himself and the boy across from him._

" _I'm sorry for your loss." Dumbledore said softly, pushing a glass towards Harry. "If it's any consolation, I am sure that Miss Delacour is quite elevated at the turn of events."_

" _How can I be happy?" Harry spat bitterly as he downed his glass of Firewhiskey. "The woman I love is currently engaged to someone who is unworthy of her."_

" _How so?" Dumbledore asked, refilling Harry's glass._

" _He's egotistical, self-entitled. Thinks that just because he is a highly accomplished curse-breaker he believes he deserves nothing but the best.I bet he has the Weasley mindset that Fleur should be a stay-at-home wife just like every other traditional Pureblood wife." Harry growled, glaring at the amber liquid within his glass. "Fleur deserves someone who cares about her every second of every day without smothering her ambitions. Someone to defend her whenever possible but willing to give her the space she needs. Someone… someone…"_

" _Someone like you?" Dumbledore asked, his eyebrow raising slightly._

 _Harry paused unsure how to answer before slumping in his seat once more._

" _No," Harry reluctantly answered. "I hurt her. I told her I will never turn my back on her and that I will always be there to support her only to find myself leaving her in the following week just so I could protect her. I have no doubt that she hates me."_

" _Yes you hurt her." Dumbledore spoke, swirling the Firewhiskey in his glass. "But she still cares for you. The silver locket you gifted her? She still carries around her neck. I believe she still has hopes that one day, the man she is looking for will return."_

" _And what will happen then?" Harry asked, glaring at Dumbledore. "We rejoice and skip off into the sunset? Evidently she choose Weasley over the man that crushed her. And I have no one to blame but myself."_

" _Do not be so harsh upon yourself Harry," Dumbledore gently reprimanded. "Miss Delacour was hurting from your loss and Bill Weasley accidently stumbled upon it. I hold no delusions that they will last long together as a couple."_

" _How does that help me?" Harry laughed bitterly, downing his second glass. "I'm a Death Eater remember? His newly initiated member of his inner circle. Before I even get the chance to speak to her, I will be restrained, crucified, and cast out to Azkaban where I will live out the rest of my days. Never being able to speak to Fleur or my family ever again."_

" _Harry." Dumbledore addressed sternly. "I promise you by the time this war is over, I will be besides you as we announce to all of the world of the crucial role you played in this war in aiding us against Voldemort. And I will be besides you as you are welcomed into the world once more with open arms."_

…

" _You promised me!"_

 _The cry went unanswered as Harry sobbed in front of the white tomb on the grounds of Hogwarts._

" _You promised me you will be there with me when the war was over. Why would you make me do something like this?" Harry stared bitterly at the plaque commemorating Albus Dumbledore._

" _I hate you so much," Harry spat. "You left me here to deal with all... all of this? I don't… I can't… how am I supposed to fix this now that you are dead?"_

 _Only silence answered his words as the rain continued to pour heavily upon the rolling hills of Scotland, hiding the tears of grief pouring down Harry's cheeks._

" _I never wanted this, I never wanted to kill anyone…"_

 _..._

" _Is this the cup Bellatrix?"_

" _Of course," She answered haughtily. "Come now ickle Potty, I thought after all this time, you would have thought better of me!"_

 _As Harry reached for it, Bellatrix quickly retracted the package._

" _I don't think so," Bellatrix tittered, a sultry smirk gracing her lips. "Not without a kiss first handsome!"_

 _Harry growled softly but uttered no words in return. Leaning forward, Harry quickly pecked Bellatrix on the lips before taking ahold of the cursed Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, softly lowering it into his moleskin pouch._

" _I will inform the Dark Lord of your actions this day and insure that you receive his gratitude," Harry spoke before walking away from the gleefully cackling madwoman behind him._

…

 _Harry tracked his brother down into the Forest of Dean. There he encountered rather impressive wards set by probably none other than his brother's best friend, Hermione Granger._

" _Expecto Patronum"_

 _From his wand, shot an impressive silvery four-legged creature. A doe made out of silvery vapor looking as graceful as the sunset. A lump wedged itself in his throat as the doe came to a rest inches away from him._

" _Hey mum. " Harry croaked as he reached his hand out only to watch disappointedly as it fell through the silvery vapor. "I'm… I'm sorry for everything. And I hope that one day, you will be able to forgive me. There is not a day that goes by without me wishing I could be with you, dad, Charles, and Fleur once more."_

" _I miss you guys so much and… and…" Harry took a deep breath as his emotions began to arise. "I wish that I didn't have to hurt you guys for doing what needed to be done. How else am I supposed to help Charles to defeat You-Know-Who without doing this? I have to protect my little brother in some way and this is the best way there is. Even if I had to hurt you, dad, Charles and everyone else I loved along with it. Please know that I will have never forgiven myself for what I had to do. And if I had the choice, I would do it all over again to protect all of you."_

 _Ushering his Patronus forward, Harry rested the Horcrux upon a flat stone and hid in a nearby bush, waiting. Minutes later, he heard the rustle of branches as Charles burst into the clearing, following the doe that led him there._

" _Mum?" Charles spoke, his eyes scouring the clearing. Seeing nothing, Charles turned to leave until his eyes rested upon the cup in front of him._

 _Harry watched as Charles slowly approached the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff. The moment Charles picked the cup up and a tinge of recognition crossed his face, Harry apparated away._

…

" _Protego!"_

 _Harry found himself locked in battle against Sirius Black, his own godfather._

 _Dodging to the left to avoid the bone-breaker hex launched his way, Harry let loose with a series of stunners and disarming charms, aiming to incapacitate his godfather rather than kill him._

 _Unfortunately, his godfather didn't seem to be in a reciprocating mood._

 _A salvo of violet and red spells flew towards him as Harry danced out of the way. Flicking his wand to the side, Harry transfigured two pieces of stone into a giant dog before commanding it to charge at Sirius._

 _However the time it took for Harry to cast it, Sirius casted the Severing Charm straight at him. By pure luck, Harry managed to survive it. The charm seemed to end after cutting through his silver mask and slicing open the left side of his face._

 _Staggering back, Harry felt the twin halves of his silver mask fall to the ground. Grabbing ahold to the bloodied side of his face, Harry looked upward to see the shocked face of his godfather. Deciding to utilize the pause given to him as the leftmost side of his face was gushing blood, Harry quickly launched a stunner towards Sirius before apparating away._

Harry lifted his eyes as his cell door began to creak open. A chill filled the air as the Dementor glided forward. Within its robes, a grey flesh decayed hand emerged and wrapped itself around Harry's throat. His eyes quickly flicking to the side, Harry affirmed that the vials of his memories were safely concealed beneath the pillow provided to him in his cold cell.

The death calling rattle echoed from the Dementor as Harry was lifted against the wall, robbing him of his airways. Harry began to choke, his feet kicking as he watched the Dementor slowly lift its hand up and lowered its hood, revealing a gapless hole inhaling every last happy memory within him.

Then nothing.

 **A/N: This was inspired by "The Trial" by reviewgirl911. I also plan for this to be at least a two-shot.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Forgiveness**

"The day I came to you to talk to you about how Bill and Fleur were married, you said I should be elevated." There was a nod of affirmation before Harry continued. "Why? Fleur was marrying another man, why should I be happy about that?"

"Is that jealousy I hear?" Dumbledore chuckled. "Tell me, do you view Miss Delacour as property?"

"What? No!" Harry sputtered, glaring at the rather younger version of Albus Dumbledore. "Fleur is her own person! "

"There's your answer Harry," Dumbledore smiled, patting Harry on the shoulder. "Fleur is an individual. If you truly loved her, you would be happy if she was."

"Not like it matters now." Harry muttered, his eyes tracing the ripples within the glistening clear blue ocean. "The Ministry decided it was my time to go and there was nothing I could do about it."

"Yes, Bones is a rather effective leader, but her overzealousness may have blinded her somewhat." Dumbledore murmured quietly. "Do not blame her for her actions. Voldemort has taken much in her life."

"I don't blame her at all," Harry spoke, grabbing a flat stone sitting next to him before skipping it across the ocean waters. "I blame Voldemort. I blame his followers. And I blame myself. I helped cause so much misery in the world. Death. Destruction. Whom am I to decide who lived and who died? It makes me wonder why I was even allowed to be here instead of being sent to suffer alongside the rest.

"Because you are a hero," Dumbledore said silently, staring sadly at the boy who had gone through trials no one his age should have. "An unspoken one, an unknown one. You did your best to save the ones you could at the expense of a select few. Your actions, while detestable, were forgivable because of the motives behind them. The victims of your actions have all forgiven you. After insight into your current status, they were understanding.

"Lucky me," Harry snorted.

"There was nothing lucky about it." Dumbledore said. "Your motivations, your feelings, your thoughts, were all laid bare to them when they entered into the afterlife. But they never had the ability to decide where you went for your next great adventure. There was nothing but pity for you. The discovery of what you sacrificed to save everyone was something that had many in tears."

Harry paused before gathering the rest of his nerves. "Sirius hates me."

"Pardon me?" Dumbledore questioned, clearly taken back from Harry's admission.

Harry repeated his statement which caused Dumbledore to frown.

"I believe he was merely allowing grief to speak for him." Dumbledore spoke which only caused Harry's eyes to harden.

"No it wasn't," Harry spat. "He hates me, I saw it in his eyes. I meant nothing to him anymore. As I laid there, he kept on repeated how filth like me had no place in the world as he rained punch after punch upon me."

"Sirius is an impulsive man, immature as well." The words caused Harry to raise an eyebrow. Dumbledore continued, "He is blinded by what he thinks. Unless faced with solid evidence, his opinion will not waver. But I promise you that sooner or later, he will come to regret his actions. Especially considering those devious little trinkets you left within your cell."

At Harry's wide eyes, Dumbledore laughed. Not a small chuckle of amusement but rather full blown laughter.

"Do not think I wasted my time dawdling here Harry." Dumbledore continued, after his laughing fit. "I understood that my death had caused some complications to arise and it was rather heartbreaking to see how troublesome my death was in your life. But you persevered, you grew. But despite succeeding in your accomplishment and celebrating your victory with everyone, I watched as you were tossed away. What I never expected was for you to somehow manage to wandlessly conjure multiple vials to store your most important memories."

"In my eyes, it was a bit of crude humor." Harry shrugged indifferently. "I felt I deserved Azkaban for the crimes I committed during my life and setting those vials aside was my way of saying how if I showed those memories, I would have never seen the inside of an Azkaban cell. And in doing so, I would have never been properly punished for the crimes I accomplished."

"Do you regret doing so?" The answer immediately came to Harry after his question.

"Every day, there was nothing more I wanted then to present my memories and beg my family and Fleur for forgiveness. But deep down I knew I had to pay for all the hurt I committed." Dumbledore nodded at Harry's answer before frowning at the second part.

"Come Harry, I like to show you something." Harry looked back to see Dumbledore holding a hand out to him. After an internal debate, Harry decided to clasp his arm before they were whisked away.

-()-

"You said these were found in his cell?"

"Correct, Minister." The Auror spoke nervously. "After the guards managed to drive away the Dementor, they found these memories hidden beneath his pillow."

"Curious," Amelia Bones tapped her quill upon the parchment thoughtfully. "Bring them to the Unspeakables, have them diagnose the memories to discover if they contain any ill-content or tampering before sending their report back to me.

"Yes Minister." The Auror quickly scuttled from her office with the rack of vials.

Amelia sighed and leaned back in her armchair. Harry Potter. The name brought a foul taste to her mouth. To learn that her niece attended school with the Death Eater for four years caused her to feel fear and rage for her niece's life. As one of the last surviving members of the Ancient and Noble house of Bones, Susan could essentially be easily used as blackmail against her. Especially since she, herself, was in a rather influential position during Susan's school years.

After the imprisonment of Harry James Potter, she had consulted with the Potter and Black families. She wanted to discover the reason behind why Harry Potter decided to join the Death Eaters. Was it because of jealousy? Or was it something more? The two families had no answers but it was clear that they were distraught.

Harry Potter also had his visitation rights banned after the short excursion of one Lord Sirius Black who decided to assault the Azkaban inhabitant. While firm with the Lord Black, she subtly notified him that she rather approved of his actions against the Death Eater. Just a small pension for those the boy thought he had the right to kill.

Deciding she needed a break, Amelia rose from her seat and exited her office. Walking down to the break room several feet away from her office, she noticed how even after the Wizarding War, the workers were all weary and cautious. It served as a reminder that the Wizarding War truly left a deep scar in everyone that survived.

Upon entering the break room, she noticed Aurors Potter and Black standing remotely in the corner of the room.

"Gentlemen," Amelia greeted to which she received two solemn nods in return. Grabbing a cup of tea, she walked towards the two. As she neared, she noticed heavy bags beneath Auror Potter's eyes as he blankly stirred his tea.

Upon her questioning look, Auror Black answered. "It's Harry's birthday today."

Even in the break room, she found she couldn't receive a reprieve from the name Harry Potter. Nodding, she began to turn to leave before Auror Potter spoke.

"I keep asking myself if I did something wrong, or if there was something I missed." James Potter whispered, his eyes unfocused. "Was Harry always dark deep down? Or was it something that accumulated over time? If so, did I cause it? Was it something I did?"

"No one saw it coming Prongs," Sirius Black admonished. "You can't blame yourself for something you didn't see coming. Merlin, it surprised all of us. We all loved Harry but I guess it wasn't enough for him."

As Amelia stared at the two, she slowly found herself coming to a quandary. Despite the death of Harry James Potter two days ago, the two in front of her still didn't know about it. And would possibly not learn about it until the week was over.

"Inner Circle Death Eater," Sirius Black laughed bitterly. "Really smacked us in the face with that one didn't he? Especially when he killed Dumbledore's spy right in the middle of Diagon Alley."

"He was a very dangerous criminal," Amelia slowly stated, deliberately choosing her words as she knew she was dancing across a volatile minefield. "It took us all by surprise to see someone fresh out of Hogwarts quickly rising through You-Know-Who's ranks."

Sirius nodded. "Admit it James, I bet no matter what, Harry would have always turned out to be a bad egg. No one rises up that fast without being a bit deranged in the head."

There was a sudden crash which had Amelia adjusting to the sight of James Potter punching Sirius in the face without restraint. Quickly snapping off two Incarcerous spells to restrain the two, Amelia found herself in the midst of a rampage.

"Don't you dare say anything like that against my son Black! Or need I remind you of your dark incestuous family?" James snarled as he strained against the ropes wounded tightly around him. "Didn't you enjoy playing with your cousin Bellatrix? I wonder if perhaps you could have persuaded her from joining Voldemort instead of running away from your mummy's home like the coward you are!"

"Enough!" Amelia shouted, as she noticed Sirius's face turn a remarkable shade of red. "Stand down, both of you. Your incessant arguing will not help each other. Grow up or get the hell out."

Reversing the spells she watched as the two Aurors glared at each other before James Potter turned to her.

"Let me talk to my son." James growled, still burning anger from Sirius's remark. "You forbade visitation to my son but allow me visit him at least just this once. I have questions I need answers to."

"I'm afraid I cannot." Amelia answered, her own glare meeting the Auror's in front of her. "I suggest you cool off before coming to see me again."

Right before James Potter could respond, an Auror burst into the room.

"Minister?" The Auror's eyes flickered to Potter and Black who were standing across from Amelia Bones. "It's the Unspeakables. They told me that the memories you sent to them… they are real and… it adds a new perspective upon the Potter trial."

Looking towards the two Aurors beside her, Amelia gestured them to follow as they trailed after the messenger. When they reached her office, Amelia immediately noticed an Unspeakable, wearing one of their infamous grey cloaks, standing to the side with a pensive resting upon her desk.

"Minister." Came the monotone voice of the Unspeakable.

"Tell me what you found," Amelia ordered, staring curiously at the swirling pool of memories within the pensive.

"The memories all come from the individual known as Harry James Potter which explains how he came to be affiliated with the Death Eaters." The Unspeakable spoke. "I can confirm that the memories are completely genuine and that the boy himself is quite interesting. It does remind me a bit of those tragic hero stories those muggles are rather fond of."

Stepping backwards without uttering another word, the Unspeakable gestured towards the pensive. Looking behind her, she noticed how Aurors Black and Potter seemed rather interested in the pensive.

"Let's see through the eyes of Harry Potter shall we?"

-()-

Lily Potter stared emptily at the room in front of her.

Gently stepping forward, she raised at the bare bed before here. There was no crease, no wrinkle, nothing to symbolize that someone had recently slept there.

Nothing was present in this room that would fill the void that was placed in her heart years ago. Lily slowly walked to the wall covered with frames decorating multiple achievements. Parchments filled with perfect grades, letters of recommendation from highly proficient dueling masters, and last but not least, the perfect grades detailing OWLs and NEWT scores.

Her son was a prodigy.

Pictures of a smiling Harry decorated the room. Some by himself, some with his family and some with his ex-girlfriend. But the most prominent in the room were the pictures of Harry and Lily together. Smiling and laughing on vacations or accomplishments that Harry had achieved.

Resting upon the desk adjacent to the main window sat a single picture. Harry was only nine or ten when the photo was taken but in it, Lily could still see the same cheeky smile on his face as he held tightly to his mother who was smiling down at him in adoration.

She missed those days. When everything was peaceful. When Harry was innocent and playful.

When she was still able to hold him tightly and kiss him on his cheek, telling him how he was her entire world.

Placing the photo down, she turned to the trunk resting at the foot of the bed. Slowly entering the combination code, she unlocked his trunk to reveal the contents of his personal belongings.

Books and school supplies littered the trunk. Lifting the school robes out of the trunk, Lily found several school books occupying the bottom of the trunk. Reaching inside, she withdrew the first book her hands laid upon.

A Beginner's Guide to Potion-Making: Volume Seven

Opening the book, Lily found that it was one of her own. One she thought she misplaced years ago. Flipping through the pages, she found her own notes rewriting instructions littering the pages. Most were her own notes, but some she found were crossed out and replaced with the calligraphy her son was so fond of.

A small chuckle escaped her lips as she pictured her son cheekily pilfering the book from beneath her very nose.

"Mum?"

Lily turned towards the doorway where she found her second son, Charles, standing awkwardly.

"Yes Charlie?"

Charles shuffled nervously before speaking. "It's Harry's birthday today mum."

Lily nodded sadly before opening her arms. Shuffling forward, Charles entered his mother's embrace, returning it as well.

"I miss him Charlie." Lily softly cried as she buried herself in her son's ebony hair.

"Me too." Charles whispered as he gripped his mother tighter.

Minutes passed before the two decided to let go. Charles watched as his mother slowly began to observe the room in a daze. A room that Charles quickly recognized belonged to his older brother's.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Hermione and I were in the Forest of Dean last year?" Charles asked to which his mother shook her head in the negative.

"Well." Charles began, rubbing the back of his neck as he led his mother into a sitting position on Harry's bed. "There I was on watch duty when I see this doe exit the tree line. It wasn't just any random doe though, it was a Patronus, kind of like yours. I followed it you know, because I was curious on who was casting it."

Lily nodded intrigued. Charles inwardly smiled, knowing that his story was distracting his mum from the rather dour state he found her in.

"Well it led me to this clearing you see." Charles continued. "I thought at first it was a trap but I didn't see anyone. I was about to leave when I saw the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff sitting there. When I grabbed it, I immediately knew it was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. But as soon as I grabbed it, I heard this rustle in the bushes next to me before hearing the soft pop of apparition. But I swear I saw Harry's eyes in the bushes watching me before he disapparated."

"You think your brother helped you?" Lily questioned hopefully, gripping her son's hand tightly.

Charles nodded. "I told it to Hermione and Ron later but they didn't believe me. Because why would a Death Eater who killed Dumbledore, Voldemort's greatest opponent, decide to suddenly help me? So I kept it to myself, but I never stopped thinking it was him that night."

"I wish I had the chance to ask him," Charles said solemnly. "The last time I saw him was when he was besides Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore once told me how that night when Grandma and Grandpa sacrificed themselves for me, Voldemort placed a Horcrux inside of me. And that the only way to remove it was through Voldemort himself. When I entered the clearing, I noticed that Harry refused to look at me. I tried to talk to him but he ignored me. That's the last I remember before Voldemort tried to kill me."

Lily hugged her son as Charles lost himself in his memories. It was painful to remember how Harry refused to recognize him. The nonverbal rejection hurt, but he didn't give it much thought until now.

"Thank you Charlie." Lily whispered. Charles nodded.

A knock echoed throughout the room as James Potter stood at the entrance into the bedroom.

"James?"

Lily watched as James shook his head before encompassing them both in a large hug. When James spoke, Lily was shocked before a feeling of jubilation began to rise inside her. That was until James said his next set of words to which Lily felt everything come crashing down.

-()-

An article was released in the Daily Prophet the next day. One that drew the attentions of many like a moth to a flame. Within the article, it spoke of the tragedies of one Harry James Potter. How, with bravery, decided to abandon everyone he loved and cared for in order to protect them all. And how they turned their backs on the unsung hero in disgust. It detailed how memories obtained by the Department of Mysteries showed of the innocence of the unsung hero and how the memories would be sent to the Potter family for personal closure upon the death of their oldest son.

However, no one felt more distraught than Sirius Black himself.

Drowning his sorrows in a flask of Firewhiskey, Sirius glared bitterly at the bottle of Firewhiskey in front of him. He was wrong. When he emerged from the pensive, it felt as if Fate had sucker-punched him into the next century.

"It's my fault the Potter's couldn't see their son. Maybe if I listened, if I pushed harder, asking for Veritaserum during his trial, none of this would have happened." Sirius growled. Images of Harry's bruised and bloody body flashed through his mind causing Sirius to yell in frustration and throw his bottle of Firewhiskey at the wall.

A soft tapping garnered his attention. Turning to the side, Sirius watched as his wife, Marlene McKinnon, walk up towards him angrily.

"Our daughter is sleeping and you are down here throwing a hissy fit, what has gotten into you?" Marlene growled, glaring into Sirius's grey orbs.

"Harry's innocent." Sirius croaked, glaring bitterly at the ground. "Harry's innocent and I beat him. My own godson. I walked into his cell because I was angry, furious at him. And I decided to hurt him. He didn't even fight back, he just laid there and took it!"

"So you are upset you hurt a hurt a defenseless person?" Marlene spoke, raising an eyebrow in question.

"No! Yes? I just, why didn't he tell me? Or his parents? Someone?" Sirius answered. "If he didn't keep it to himself then maybe he wouldn't have gone to Azkaban. Maybe he wouldn't have died. I wonder if maybe it's because of me that Harry gave up the will to live?"

Sirius suddenly found himself yanked downwards by his ear. Straight into the snarling face of his wife.

"Listen to me very carefully Black." Marlene snarled. "Harry's death is not your fault. Harry died because it was his time. If you want to honor Harry, do it with respect, don't drink yourself into a complete waste because you feel sorry for yourself. If Harry was here, I would apologize for the part I played against him. But he isn't, but do you see me drinking and sobbing to myself? I will show Harry the respect he deserves. I will make sure that our daughter knows the heroics her godbrother committed and I will do whatever I can to make sure that everyone understands the sacrifices Harry underwent in order to save the rest of us."

Sirius stared deeply into his wife's eyes before giving her a steely nod. "Thank you Marly. I wonder where I would be without you."

"Certainly drowning yourself with your twentieth bottle of Firewhiskey, that's for sure." Marlene snorted before gently pecking her husband on the cheek.

-()-

Fleur watched as the body was lowered into the ground.

The tears and pain had long since passed and now all that Fleur felt was numbness. Harry didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to die alone and cold, no one besides him to help him as the Dementor claimed his soul.

The body before her contained no trace of the cheeky, handsome boy she fell in love with. Instead, a malnourished starved body was laid to rest. A body that had a waxy, sunken complexion. It was an insult to the unsung hero who helped save them all.

Ministry officials were there to offer their condolences to the Potter family but she could see the Ministry for what they really were.

Sheep.

Cowards.

The people offering their empty apologies had nothing heartfelt to offer. Public image _cochons_. There was no obituary offered from the Potter family. Nor the Black family. Instead the Ministry stepped forward and procured a half-assed speech given to honor the dead member of the Potter family.

There was one member of the Black family, a small grey eyed child who could have been no older than three or four. She looked around confused, perhaps wondering why her parents and others were shedding tears over what the child perceived to be just an empty patch of dirt. Her lack of experience with the concept of life was shining clearly.

Harry would have loved her.

As people began to leave, Fleur decided to walk towards the woman standing alone in front of the gravestone. Standing beside her, they both were silent, until Fleur decided to speak.

"'E deserved better."

The woman turned, revealing herself as Lily Potter.

"Yes." Lily agreed, smiling bitterly. "Yes he did."

Fleur flinched from the hidden barb tossed her way but decided to remain strong. "I made a mistake, somezing I can never forgive myself for. I can only 'ope zat one day, when I get the chance, I can throw myself onto my knees and beg for his forgiveness."

The woman besides her kept quiet so Fleur decided to continue. "'Arry was ze first to make me feel alive. People all ze time tell me zey want to zee ze real me but zey always want to try to get into my pants. 'Arry wasn't like zat. When I first met 'Arry, 'e marched right up to me and began to berate me. 'E scolded me for insulting 'is brother and told me to apologize."

The woman snorted but offered no comment.

"I wuz brash and arrogant, zo, I told him maybe eef 'e could best me in a duel, I would apologize. I zought eet would be an easy win because I wuz ze dueling champion of Beauxbatons."

"He then proceeded to knock you on your arse didn't he?" Lily spoke, amusement dancing within her tone while her face remained somber.

Fleur nodded. "Oui, I wuz embarrassed. But I am a lady of my word. I apologized and 'Arry thanked me of my apology even eef 'is brother wuz confused. I zen proceeded to challenge 'Arry over and over to regain my pride, and 'e beat me over and over. Eet soon became a game to us and one day 'e told me zat if I won, 'e would allow me to ask for anyzzing I wanted." Fleur immediately began to blush as details of the day began to float in her head. "We fought and I won."

"What did you ask for?"

"A date," Fleur answered, her cheeks tinging a dark pink hue.

Lily nodded, a sad smile crossing her face. "That was a nice story. But why a date of all things?"

"'Arry interested me. When I asked for a date, I told 'im to surprise me. Eet turned out to be ze best date I 'ave ever been on. And before I knew it, we were on anuzzer one. To zis day, I still don't know eef I truly won or eef 'Arry let me. All I know is zat I wish I 'ad more time with 'im."

"When I 'eerd zat 'Arry left me and joined ze Death Eaters, I wuz distraught. Zen 'ere comes zis man a few days later who I zought I could use to replace 'Arry with. And only days into our marriage, 'e began to cheet on me. Zo I left him and never looked back. Because I knew zat no one could ever replace 'Arry."

Lily frowned but nodded. "No one could ever replace Harry, he was special."

Fleur smiled softly. "'E talked about you often as well. Eet made me zink zat perhaps 'e wuz a bit of a mama's boy."

A soft tinkering laugh escaped Lily's lips as they proceeded to walk away from Harry's tomb. "He definitely was."

It was in that graveyard where two broken women began to heal.

-()-

"Why did you show me that?"

"To show you how your absence affected your family, did you really find it necessary to cause so much grief to those that cared so much about you? Was this the way you wanted to repay them for all the hurt you caused?" Dumbledore questioned, his eyes boring into Harry's.

"Love is a powerful thing Harry. Cherish it. And you will be able to discover wonders you would have never even dreamed of."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about old man?"

Dumbledore smiled and grabbed ahold of Harry once more. Gently, but firmly dragging him away from the observation bowl.

"There is no need to dwell upon something when you have the chance to fix it." Dumbledore spoke as a strange mirror began to appear in front of them.

"What is this?" Harry spoke as he began to observe the mirror. A faint remembrance pulsed within his mind but Harry couldn't place it.

"I believe you encountered this item during your fourth year at Hogwarts. The year when your brother Charles first stepped foot within Hogwarts's halls." Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"The Mirror of Erised?" Harry gasped as he noticed the inscription on the top of the glass pane.

"Death rewards those who aid him." Dumbledore answered in return.

"But… but what about you Professor? You helped stopped the rise of Voldemort too!" Harry sputtered as he stared into the mirror which showed his family sitting at the table at Potter Manor for dinner.

"I am old Harry… very old. I have lived my life and cherished it." Dumbledore answered sagely. "I am happy here. Besides, there is someone here I would like to apologize to and spend some quality time with."

Harry turned to the side to see a young girl with blond hair smiling in their direction. As he stared at her who began to wave, Harry noticed she had blue eyes, eyes so similar that it resembled the man right beside him.

"My sister, Ariana." Dumbledore clarified as he noticed Harry's questioning look. "There is much I wish to say to her. Just like there is much you need to tell your family and Miss Delacour."

As Harry began to step towards the mirror, he looked back once more to see Dumbledore's encouraging smile. "Remember Harry, don't pity the dead, pity the living."

With those final words, Harry gave a sad smile and stepped through the mirror.

 **A/N: I know from the first chapter some of you may be confused because I actually wrote PJO before this. This was just something to help me get back into writing.**


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